Their Side of the Quell
by ohsnapitzemma
Summary: Here's what went down the year after the 74th Games. Hayffie forever. It's just a bunch of short stories for the most part by the way.
1. The New Phone

Its cold in his house. He's passed out in a stool, his face resting on the table in front of him as he is passed out in his home in the Victor's Village. After he comes to, Haymitch makes an attempt to stand up but it's no use, so he only lets the empty liquor bottle slide out of his hand and onto the floor and clutches the knife harder. The smell of the house is absolutely horrible, but he doesn't bother to clean it. Ever. He hears a knock on the door and shifts slightly on the wooden stool, whoever it is knocks again. Haymitch uses all of the energy he has to stand up and stumble towards the door.

"What?" Haymitch yells at the man who appears after he has finished swinging the door open. He looks at the black mail box that resides on the side of the house, next to his front door, and sees a letter. Haymitch takes the pink envelope in his hand and sees his name, handwritten in cursive letters. "Who sent you."

"A woman in the Capitol. I'm just here to install a phone." He dodges a knife swung at him from Haymitch, who is still looking at the envelope confused as to who the sender was.

"Yeah whatever." Haymitch turns, still staring at the envelope, and returns to his stool in the kitchen. "Come in."

The man starts working on installing the phone, amazed how Haymitch completely destroyed the last one. Haymitch flips over the envelope and rips it open to find a small piece of paper, this one was not pink but white with pink writing. Pen. Haymitch began to read it:

_This time, don't rip it out of the wall. And keep in touch._

_ -Effie (671-3490) xo_

"She's back." Haymitch mumbles, not caring if the man replacing wires heard him. After about 3 and a half hours and part of his wall being removed, Haymitch's phone was installed. It was around 5:30 at night and he still sat at the table on that stool, note in one hand bottle in the other and the knife sitting in front of him. Haymitch stared at the phone for a while. That's when he picked it up and dialed Effie's number. _Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep._

"Hello." Effie's cheerful, Capitol voice chirped over the phone. There was a pause, Haymitch realized he wasn't talking. "Hellooo?"

"Hi, Princess." Haymitch finally said, his voice low. "Been a while, huh?"

"Yes. It has. Too long. You can't even imagine how much I've been wanting to talk to you." Effie's Capitol voice is not very normal to him, but Haymitch knows that she's probably in public.

"I bet I can. Thanks for the phone by the way." Haymitch walks back into the kitchen and leans on the counter looking down at the letter. He opens a drawer and pulls out a dusty roll of tape, ripping a piece and sticking it to the letter, and hangs it on the inside of one of the two cabinets that hang over the sink.

"Promise you'll keep in touch?"

"Yeah. I promise." Haymitch lightly closes the cabinet door. "What have you been up to, anyways, Trinket."

"Oh the usual, shopping, shopping, working with Cinna on Katniss' dresses, and more shopping." Effie is now forcing the joy, Haymitch can tell. "What about you, Haymitch? Drinking, drinking, keeping Katniss from killing Peeta, and more drinking."

"You know me all too well, Princess."

"I should hope so. Haymitch, I have to go. It has been so wonderful talking to you again. Please do not hesitate to call me. It's nice to hear your voice." He can hear Capitol citizens in the background, and then silence for a moment. Then she whispers so no one can hear her. "I love you."

"Trust me, Effie. I won't. I love you, too." The noise of the Capitol returns.

"Goodbye, Haymitch."

"Bye, Eff." He hangs up the phone and walks back to his stool, sits down and takes a sip out of the bottle and smiles. "God. That phone is gonna be the death of me."


	2. Meant to Be

"Eff, we got a problem" Haymitch said over the phone to a half-asleep Effie.

"Well hello to you, too, Haymitch. What's wrong? It's almost morning." Effie sounded extremely tired, after all it was around 11:45. Haymitch knew she would be asleep by then, but they had a bit of a situation and he needed to talk to her.

"Katniss, she can't do the shoot. She just tried to defend her uh... 'cousin' and got whipped. There's a new Head Peacekeeper. It's bad." Haymitch sounded furious, he never gets worked up over the kids.

"It must be, you sound sober." Effie teased into the phone.

"Hilarious." He wasn't amused. "I dunno what to do, Eff. Snow wants this wedding but it's not gonna happen. Her face is-"

"Wait... her _face_? Why in the world did he whip her face? He must have been out of his mind! Does he know who she _is_? That is Katniss Everdeen! The Girl on Fire! That's what he should be... Fired!" Effie is now yelling.

"I know, Effie. Her mother's a healer, she's takin' care of her face right now. She just sent me home 'cause of the blizzard." Haymitch calms her down. "I feel bad. The boy's even worse. 'Bout 40 times. He's half dead at Katniss' house. Her mom's gotta take care of him, too."

"Will he be alright?"

"Katniss' mother said so, and she's the best healer around. She used to help all the time with mining accidents and whippings. He's in good hands."

"I hate to say it, but I am a bit jealous, Abernathy." Effie giggles a little into the phone.

"You should be she's single." Haymitch jokes, and leans against the wall switching the phone from one hand to the other. They both laugh for a moment.

"You would never- uh do something like that. Right, Haymitch?" Effie stops laughing for a moment.

"'Course not, sweetheart. I love ya. I would never cheat on you. Now the real question is, would you?" It's silent for a moment. They both know that if Effie stays 'single' for too long in the Capitol, it might cause suspicion. She has told her friends of one night stands she has had when she was drunk or when she was alone at a bar, but they were all lies. They would always ask her why she didn't have a boyfriend, that she's getting older and loosing her looks and she would tell them that she wasn't ready for anything serious. Now Effie is infamous in the Capitol for never wanting anything other than one time things, but she didn't care as long as she got to see Haymitch.

"It wouldn't be cheating, it would be keeping us both safe. Right? I mean, it wouldn't be for my benefit, it would be so we're not both imprisoned or executed." Effie's eyes started to water.

"Yeah. As long as you're not doing it to get away from me. It's not that easy, Trinket." Haymitch's voice is low, but he forces a laugh. "Other than those Capitol turds you have to get with, you're mine."

"Manners, Haymitch!" Effie gasps over the phone.

"There's the Effie I know and love. Sorry, Princess." Haymitch laughs, this time it's genuine. She really does bring out the best in him. Effie begins to laugh too and she snorts which causes Haymitch to laugh louder. He brings out the worst in her. They balance each other out so perfectly, it's clear that they were meant to be.


	3. The Snow

"I have to say, it's healed up pretty good, Effie."

"Do you think she's ready for us?"

"Definitely. Its almost gone actually, with Cinna's help you won't even be able to tell it happened." Haymitch actually sounds happy about this.

"I just hope I don't annoy anyone too much, she's been through so much. But I have to keep up this stupid act."

"Now more than ever, Eff. Snow's getting bad."

"Yes. You told me there was a blizzard but-"

"No I mean Snow. He threatened her. If I do anything stupid, God only knows what, and mention you-"

"It's okay. Snows on edge. He always is. We just have to be a little more careful is all. We can do this." Effie calms Haymitch down.

"I really hope so. I've lost too much, and I can't loose you." Haymitch doesn't sound drunk, he probably had a little to drink but he isn't slurring his words or yelling obscenities when he stubs his toe or drops his bottle or the phone. He actually is putting effort into keeping them safe.

"Are you sobering up, Haymitch?" Effie asked with a laugh.

"Nah nobody's been selling much liquor so I've only been having a little. So you get my good side when you come."

"I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you and hear your normal voice for once. I mean really? Even when I called you half asleep you still sounded ridiculous."

"I have to, Haymitch. I live in an apartment in the middle of the Capitol. As luxurious as it is, I have very, as you would say, 'prissy' neighbors." Effie laughs. "God only knows what would happen if I didn't talk like this."

"It would be hilarious, I bet."

"Yes. It probably would be, but I'm not taking the chance. They might look at a normal voice like an uprising. You never know."

"Yeah I guess. You can never be too safe out there can you?"

"Here? Where obnoxiously annoying is normal, and anything other than it would be weird and shunned? No. You can't be too safe. Ever."

"Well, here you can be whatever. By that I mean my house. Can't let someone from 12 see Miss Effie Trinket drinking out of the bottle or talking like a normal person, we would start a Rebellion."

"Maybe that's just what we need, Haymitch."

"It is. But it's not safe. Don't say anything like that. You never know who may be listening to you. Especially in the Capitol. Okay, Eff?"

"Yes. I just wish someone would do something about all that snow in 12." Effie knew what he meant. The phones could be bugged.

"Katniss and Peeta can take care of it. It'll be outta here in no time." Haymitch knew what she meant. She wants Snow out as much as he does. _If she would only take of that makeup, she would blend into 12 perfectly_, Haymitch thought.

"You should just give them some shovels, you can probably help, too." _This woman is crazy I can't help them, does she know what they'll do to her?_ Haymitch thinks.

"No. It's gonna melt soon anyway, it's getting sunny and by the time I help, I'll only be pushing around slush."

"You're right. Do you think I can help when I arrive?"

"No, sweetheart. We've got this under control. I don't want you to get hurt because of some ice." _Peacekeepers?_ Effie thought.

"Yes from what I heard the ice is getting bad in 12 now."

"Yeah. Well, I gotta go, Eff. Come to my house as soon as you get here. Okay?"

"I will, Haymitch. Don't worry about me."

"Okay. Just be careful of the ice."


	4. Promises

Haymitch is in his kitchen making a sandwich in the newly cleaned house. He's glad that Katniss convinced him to hire Hazelle. It smells better than before. Haymitch throws the knife into the dish washer that he had never used before and takes a bite out of the sandwich. It's the bread that Peeta had given him, he'd saved it for when he was hungry. As he sits on the stool in his kitchen he hears a knock on the door, this time he knows who it is. He opens the door and tells the person to leave as an attempt to fool Hazelle who is upstairs cleaning, and walks to one of the empty bedrooms where she is dusting a small table at the foot of the bed and tells her that she can go home for the day and make sure the kids are okay. Hazelle does what she is told and leaves after Haymitch gives her a handful of money and sends her out the back door. After Hazelle is gone, Haymitch returns to the front door.

"Effie," Haymitch says, pulling her inside and into his arms. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I can tell." Effie laughs, her arms pressed to her side unable to move in Haymitch's grip. "I can't even breathe."

"Sorry. Come sit with me." Haymitch laughs, guiding Effie to the couch. He pours her and himself a drink and sits next to her. "Okay, you can drop the Capitol Effie now, you're safe."

"Oh thank God." Effie sighs and kicks off her heels and puts her feet onto the couch, shifting her position so that her head is resting in her hand and she's facing Haymitch. "I get time to be me! Finally, I get to see you and be the _normal_ Effie. Do you even know how annoying Capitol Effie is? I mean really it's ridiculous how-"

"Is it this annoying, or do you just like hearing your regular voice?" Haymitch cuts her off with a laugh and pulls off her wig.

"Haymitch! Use some manners! Or at least have some respect for me! No not even me, my wig! Cinna made me that wig, you know! Do you even know how rude you can be sometimes-" Haymitch cuts her off with a kiss.

"Missed you, sweetheart." Haymitch pulls back and laughs.

"I know you did." Effie said leaning in and kissing him again. "You know, we don't have to go to Katniss' house until tomorrow, right?"

"I like how you think, Princess." Haymitch gets up and scoops Effie up in his arms carelessly and carries her to his bedroom. "I'm glad you're home, Effie."

"Home?"

"Yeah. Just like I'm home when I'm with you on the train or in the penthouse."

"Oh, well then I'm glad to be home, Haymitch. I just hope there's a time when I'm always home. If it's in the Capitol or here in 12, I just want to be home all of the time."

"I hope so, too, sweetheart." Haymitch says, kissing Effie's forehead and then gently putting her at the foot of the bed.

"I don't want to leave tomorrow, Haymitch." Effie's bare feet appear on the bed as she pulls her knees to her chest.

"We have now, Effie. That's what matters. When you're back in the Capitol I promise, I'll call you everyday." Haymitch brushes some of Effie's blonde hair behind her ear and kisses her.

* * *

Effie makes her way downstairs in a large t-shirt and pajama pants that belong to Haymitch after she showered, she doesn't have any make up on and her hair is still dripping from the shower. Haymitch looks up from the frying pan where he is making scrambled eggs for them both and stares at her for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Effie smiles, her cheeks burning.

"Nothin'. You shouldn't wear all that... junk. You look fine without it." His eyes are locked on Effie's makeup free face, which he can never get used to after seeing her so much with the 'Capitol garbage' on.

"Oh." Effie giggles and pushes a piece of her wet hair out of her face. She makes her way to the refrigerator to get milk for the coffee that sits in a pot on the counter and then reaches for a mug from a cabinet over the sink. She stops and smiles when she sees a small square of white paper taped to the inside of the cabinet. She reaches to pull it off of the inside of the cabinet and turns and smiles at Haymitch, who is still cooking. "Care to explain, Abernathy?"

"Explain what, sweetheart." Haymitch turns with a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Oh. That."

"Yes." Effie looks at it and smiles, her cheeks still burning. "This."

"I promised I would keep in touch, didn't I? And I'm not good at rememberin' stuff, you should know that." He stops when Effie walks over to him, putting the paper on the counter and swings her arms over his shoulders.

"You did." Effie leans in and kisses him. Haymitch lets go of the frying pan and wraps his arm around Effie's waist, returning the kiss. Effie pulls back from the kiss and stands on her tiptoes to put her mouth to the side of his head and whispers. "I think you're burning your eggs, Haymitch."

"And I think your coffee's getting cold, Princess." Haymitch smiles and turns back to the stove. Effie fixes the far too big pajama bottoms and returns to her coffee.

"Thank you for keeping your promise, Haymitch." Effie smiles into her coffee.

"No problem, Eff."


End file.
